π Inside LeBron's first game in Philly -- more than two decades ago β SkimNews
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- Jeremy Treatman secured James's Dec. 22, 2002 game at the Palestra after initially bluffing that he could arrange the venue; he sold it out, said it drew more people than any previous night in the building, and admitted adding at least 150 people beyond its 8,700-seat capacity.
- Palestra was built in 1926, hosted its first college game in 1927 and served as the model for Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium; it has hosted more NCAA men's basketball games than any arena in the country.
- Maureece Rice entered the matchup needing 80 points to break Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia high-school scoring record of 2,252; Rice was scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting at halftime.
- LeBron James came to the Palestra with St. Vincent-St. Mary 6-0 and No. 9 in USA Today's rankings; his team led Strawberry Mansion 36-15 at halftime and 65-25 after three quarters.
- Allen Iverson attended one year after his MVP and Finals run, yet Romeo Travis said the visit felt routine because Shaquille O'Neal had recently come to watch James's team play.
- Rice hit his second made basket of the night with a fourth-quarter three, prompting James to answer with a three; both sides called clearouts before Rice crossed James again as James's sneakers slipped, but the resulting shot airballed.
- Gloria James riled the increasingly raunchy crowd as Treatman feared a riot; James's ensuing fourth-quarter duel with Rice won over Philadelphia for the first time.
Why it matters: James drew a sellout crowd to the Palestra on Dec. 22, 2002, while Treatman acknowledged adding at least 150 people beyond the 8,700-seat capacity. Aron Cohen and Richard Hamilton both recalled it as a defining Philadelphia hoops night, reinforcing the Palestra's lasting status as the city's hoops mecca.
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